The Arizona sentinel., 1887-03-19

The cobra, or cobra di capella, tC
 give its full title, also known as tho
 hooded or spectacle snake (NdjC
 trlpudeps), is not only one of the most
 fatal of the serpent tribes, but one of
 the most numerous, and the world over
 has less than half-a-dozen rivals, the
 most prominent of which are: The
 Cleopatrine asp or African cobra (NdjO RqjG), the fer de lance (CSarpedocephaL- Ous lanceolatuS) of the Caribbean archipelago, the tic paloonga (Daboit RusSell) or cobra mouil of Ceylon, the West India TrigonocephalorS, and the tigar snake of Australia and Tasmania (HopLocephdlous curtUS).
 In habits the cobra is cupuscular and nocturnal, during the day lying coiled up in its lar asleep; but no sooner has the sun fallen below the horizon than 1t crawls forth in search of prey such as toads, frogs, mice and small vermin. Cobras are inordinately fond of rats, and the presence of the pests about a dwelling is a certain means of turing the cobra, and perhaps causing it to make a den in the foundation walls, amongst accumulated rubbish, or even in the attic. It is these vermin also that lure it about deserted temples, old ruins, and deserted cane-fields and plantations; and where grass and jungle have been permitted to spring up at will; and in deserted and honey combed ant-hills they are sure to be found. Yet" says Captain Gill more, although they are so plentiful, I never heard of a European being bitten by one, during a residence of many years in India"
 The Anglo-Indian, after brief resi- dence, learns to hold the cobra in supreme contempt, though during the heated term doors and windows of necessity remain unclosed both day and night, and it is no uncommon oc- currence to find traces of the visit of the cobra over night, or even its old skin, on the floor, which it has cast during its peregrinations about the room. Ample measures for protection, however, are always taken, in the way of screens and canopies to beds; and when men go out walking or shooting, gaiters are invariably worn. Even trousers are a protection, since they catch and perhaps tear out the curved fangs, or absorb the venom.
 Among the natives, however, who, as a rule, are too idle and careless to ac- cept of precaution, the loss of life is considerable, in some districts absolute ly frightfuL and averages annually for all British India something like one seventh of one per cent. of the entire population.
 So indifferent are the natives, and so perhaps, with fatalism, that they maTch bare-legged through jungles and thicEets, at night casting them selves on the bare. earth or floor indif- ferently, with no other covering than light muslin or cotton wrapper Naturally aprowling serpent will often cross the body of the sleeper, who> one half awakened by the act, puts tCSth his hand to discover what has disturb ed him, and is immediately bitten.
 Strang to say, it is rare that native will injure one of the reptiles, which he holds in species of religious venera- ton; and the death of one of his imme- diate family or relatives brings no other retribution than coaxing or forcing the author into a jar, and setting him at liberty at some dis tance. The Hindu priests rather en- courage the presence of cobras about | their temples, and even go so far as to feed them regularly, offering milk, of which they seem inordinately fond, claiming that, aside from the sacred | character of the serpents, their value as destroyers of vermin sufficiently | compensates for all danger. Pliny remarks the affection that ex- ists between the male and female asp, or African cobra, and declares that if | one be destroyed, the other seeks to avenge its death; and likewise the Cinghalese say that when one is killed, its companion is almost certain to be | discovered immediately after. This | belief" says Sir J. Emmerson Ten pent. '1had an opportunity of verifying l